New possibilities of miniinvasive treatment of esophageal stenoses

We report our first very good experiences with the treatment of inoperable, especially malignant stenoses of the esophagus, with perorally inserted metallic self-expanding stents. During the period since August 1993 up to now, we have introduced 17 stents in 15 patients. We have compared the introduction of stents with other modalities of palliative treatment of esophageal stenoses, as actinotherapy, contact or focused laser, palliative by-pass surgery, classic surgical or endoscopical stenose-pertubation. In the last place for the patient stands the dismal nutrition-gastrostomy. From this point of view, the miniinvasive treatment with metallic stents is very successful, easy, well tolerated by the patients, and practically without complications. The therapeutical effect, elimination of severe swallowing-discomfort, allows especially to patient with malignancies to live terminal months of life with a relatively maximum quality of deglutition.